Integrating a data center thermal control system and individual fan controllers for controlling a thermal environment in a data center room

• US 9,158,311 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Geissler, Andrew, Hollinger, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yuhui R
• Application Number:
  US14/058,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A thermal control system for a data center room, for controlling an ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point, receives multiple ambient temperature votes from multiple fan controllers positioned in the data center room each for controlling fan speeds for at least one separate fan from among multiple fans each positioned within a separate system from among multiple systems within the data center room. The thermal control system sets the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the multiple ambient temperature votes, such that the thermal control system and fan controllers operate as independent systems, but are integrated for selecting an ambient temperature that minimizes the power required for controlling a thermal environment in the data center room.

Claims

1. A method for managing a thermal environment in a data center room, comprising:

controlling a thermal control system for a data center room comprising a plurality of computer systems each housing at least one fan from among a plurality of fans each positioned in the plurality of computer systems for controlling a separate local temperature by controlling local airflow within each separate computer system from among the plurality of systems, wherein each fan is controlled by at least one fan controller from among a plurality of fan controllers positioned within the plurality of computer systems, wherein each of the plurality of computer systems comprises a separate at least one component that generates heat, each separate fan controller comprising a closed-loop fan controller system with a single input and a single output for controlling at least one fan of the plurality of fans, each fan controller system specified with a separate thermal set point comprising a maximum temperature for at least one of a plurality of components of each of the plurality of systems;

receiving, by each separate fan controller from among the plurality of fan controllers, the single input comprising at least one separate component temperature of at least one temperature measured by a component sensor proximate to the separate at least one component and an local ambient temperature measured by a temperature sensor proximate to air surrounding the at least one separate component and not proximate to exhaust air pushed out by the at least one fan;

applying, by each separate fan controller, at least one local optimization rule to calculate, based on the single input and the thermal set point, a desired ambient temperature and a fan speed relationship to correct differences between the single input and the thermal set point and optimize power usage for cooling of the separate at least one component by the separate fan controller in relation to a separate cooling of an ambient temperature in the data center room by one or more cooling units, wherein the fan speed relationship specifies the single output comprising a control signal for specifying whether to turn the at least one fan of the plurality of fans on and a speed for the at least one fan if turned on;

outputting, by each separate fan controller, a control signal for the calculated fan speed to control a separate fan from among the plurality of fans;

outputting, by each separate fan controller, the desired ambient temperature in a separate ambient temperature vote from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes;

controlling, by a thermal control system for controlling the ambient temperature in the data center room to meet an ambient temperature set point through a cooling unit controller that directs the one or more cooling units that control cooling of the ambient temperature within the data center room to meet the ambient temperature set point, wherein the cooling unit controller only directs the one or more cooling units, wherein the cooling unit controller and the one or more cooling units operate independently of the plurality of fan controllers and the plurality of fans, wherein the thermal control system does not direct the plurality of fan controllers;

receiving, by the thermal control system, each separate ambient temperature from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes from the plurality of fan controllers, each separate ambient temperature vote comprising an identifier for a particular system from among the plurality of systems, a desired ambient temperature, and at least one maximum temperature from among a maximum ambient temperature and a maximum component temperature;

setting, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes, by calculating the lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes by removing at least one outlier temperature from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes and calculating a median temperature of the remaining ambient temperature votes from among the plurality of ambient temperature votes, wherein the lowest ambient temperature is set to the median temperature;

outputting, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point for each thermal area to the cooling unit controller;

collecting, by the thermal control system, the plurality of ambient temperature votes during a first collection period, wherein the plurality of fan controllers report the plurality of ambient temperature votes during the first collection period;

storing, by the thermal control system, a fan vote record of the plurality of ambient temperature votes;

collecting, by the thermal control system, a second plurality of ambient temperature votes during a second collection period, wherein the second plurality of ambient temperature votes is less than the plurality of ambient temperature votes;

responsive to reaching the end of the second collection period, determining, by the thermal control system, at least one particular fan controller from among the plurality of fan controllers previously reporting during the first collection period are not reporting during the second collection period;

responsive to detecting the at least one particular fan controller not reporting during the second collection period, marking, by the thermal control system, a status of the at least one particular fan controller as not reporting in the fan vote record to indicate the at least one particular system is not reporting during the second collection period and identify at least one desired ambient temperature vote for the at least one particular system from at least one previously recorded desired ambient temperature vote stored in the fan vote record in association with the at least one particular fan controller; and

responsive to detecting all of the plurality of fan controllers not reporting during the second reporting period, maintaining, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point at a temperature that does not exceed any hottest component temperature setting of any of the plurality of components of the plurality of systems.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the plurality of ambient temperature votes by the thermal control system comprising a fan interrogator for receiving communications of the plurality of ambient temperature votes from each of the plurality of fan controllers.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein setting, by the thermal control system, the ambient temperature set point to a lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes, further comprises:

identifying a separate thermal area from among a plurality of thermal areas associated with each of the plurality of ambient temperature votes;

identifying a separate area lowest ambient temperature specified in the plurality of ambient temperature votes for each thermal area; and

setting a separate area ambient temperature set point to each separate area lowest ambient temperature for each thermal area.